I remember a time when I was quite young sitting in a chair reading a list of names and dates to my father, who sat nearby typing the information on the old Olympic brand long-carriage typewriter on large pedigree charts and family group sheets.

I also remember regular family meetings for both my mother’s and father’s sides of the family where genealogy was the topic of discussion and plans were made for the next move. Truly my parents lived and breathed genealogy and as we participated in the work, we learned the importance of not only doing the research work of ancestors and relatives but also preserving the information.

Perhaps some of you have only begun doing your ancestral research, others may never have had the opportunity, others might not feel the need because someone else in the family does it, and yet others may have been doing it themselves since they were small. I encourage everyone to involve themselves in genealogy, despite your experience with it. Said by the famous Alex Haley the author of Roots, [genealogy] is an “…all-consuming desire like a fire that burns morrow-deep”. You can learn a lot about yourself and your roots by making connections with your ancestors through genealogy.

Welcome to Ancestral Connections’ new blog. This is the platform for us to begin a dialogue on genealogy. Feel free to comment, ask questions, and come back often to contribute. We look forward to conversing with you about our precious genealogy. Thank you!

Russ Bangerter is a professional genealogist and principal researcher for Ancestral Connections, Inc. Russ finds great joy in helping clients break down the “brick walls” that people often confront in researching their genealogy. Follow this link to the company website to learn more, http://www.ancestralconnect.com.